BY NICOLE MILLER

The advertising industry has always used culture to get people’s attention.  And if there’s one place known for its prevalent and prideful culture, it’s Ireland.

Lorraine, 26, of Galway, thinks culture is the most prevalent theme advertisers turn to in Ireland.

“If it is an Irish product, it is always Irish culture,” Lorraine said.

Humor and wit – some of the defining characteristics of the Irish – are also prominent in the country’s ads.

“The Irish have a very cheeky sense of humor,” Lorraine said.

Consider the ad campaign for Iarnród Eireann, Ireland’s national rail network. The campaign encourages students living away from home to visit their parents regularly before their parents decide to visit them. It pokes fun at all the mischief students may take part in while away at college paired at the thought of it being witnessed by a visiting mum and dad.

Speaking from an outsider’s point of view Mel, 22, from Canada, said that it was very difficult to understand the Irish wit when she first moved to Galway three months ago.

She said the sarcasm is different than in Canada, and the Irish have many sayings that do not make much sense to her.

Although the Irish have a strong history of witty banter and slang, they are more than willing to explain it, Mel said.    

The Irish are very proud of their culture and country, and advertisers have used that to their advantage.

An example of this is the Kerrygold Irish Butter. These advertisements have made it to the States as well as in Ireland. The images they use are of country butter farmers, depicting the family side of the business. One in particular shows a man, his cows and then a dinner plate. It may not seem like a hard-hitting advertisement, but it shows the culture. The Irish are proud of their farms and their cows. And it’s a huge industry for the country and its farmers. You can drive down the coastline and see farm after farm with cows and other animals.    

Another example of the Irish wit is the Bulmers Cider ads.

They are placed all over the town on billboards, buses, bus stops and in print.

“Of course [I’ve seen that ad],” Irish native Sheree of Clare, said. “That ad is everywhere.”

 There are various versions of the same ad, but they all have the same meaning. It is a party scene with different percentages that all add up to 100% Irish. For example, it shows one man in new shoes saying, “0% chance these will be white tomorrow.” Another one is the DJ, and it says, “8% he knows what these buttons do.” The joke is that in every situation  the percentages add up to 100% Irish Cider.  

Although Sheree has seen the ad she also said that she does not usually pay attention to the ads nor does she feel they impact her buying decision.  

There are many parallels with Irish advertising and U.S., but the major link is the pride of the country. One American ad that capitalizes off of this patriotism is Budweiser with its campaigns based on Americans’ pride for the country, generally tugging at the audience’s heartstrings at the same time. Whether it be in Ireland or in the U.S., pride in the culture and the country are both major selling points, and companies are well aware of this fact.